Bleed Like Me
by DreamShadows
Summary: Follow up one shot to ‘The Outstretched Shadow,’ and ‘Nightmares Lived.’ This story takes place eighteen years after the death of Sam, and is VERY Dean centered. What happens when Dean really goes home?


So there were quite a few e-mails that asked for either a follow up story or one shot to 'The Outstretched Shadow,' and 'Nightmares Lived.' I figured that the least I could do was this little one shot.

This story takes place eighteen years after the death of Sam, and is VERY Dean centered. I have never wrote a Dean centered fic before, so please bear with me, I usually write Sam centered fics, which the first two in the series were… You should read those before reading this.

I must thank my gracious beta and I will put her reply to this story down at the bottom in my A/N!

Enjoy and review!

* * *

"Sammy Jo? Where are you?" Dean yelled through the apartment as he walked in, after having worked a ten hour shift in his construction job. Dean and John still hunted when the opportunity was presented, and sometimes Sammy Jo was allowed to come, but for the most part, the Winchesters had settled down after Sam had died. 

"Coming dad!" Dean heard the yell of his son coming from his bedroom. Dean laughed when he heard a loud crash and a string of muttered curses coming from the room.

Sammy Jo came out of his room a minute later, a scowl on his face and a deadly glint in his eyes that told Dean not to ask what had happened. Dean stifled a laugh, the look that his son now wore he had gotten from his uncle, an exact replica of the one Sam used to give Dean whenever he had done anything less than graceful.

"What's up dad?" Sam looked up at Dean, his eyes serious and curious.

"Well you grandfather has found us a couple of werewolves that need to be taken care of, and after checking that your grades are still up, we were wondering if you would like to go on the hunt with us." Dean looked up at Sam as he finished talking, and saw glee in Sam's eyes at the prospect of a hunt, and a werewolf hunt at that. Sam had always been interested in the creatures, something that Dean had never figured out, and knew that he probably wasn't going to figure out anytime soon.

Sam nodded and his three inch long, medium brown hair flared out in different directions. That was another thing that Sammy Jo had gotten from his uncle, his ridiculously long brown hair. "Sure dad, when is it? And what excuse are you gonna give the school this time, when we're gone?" Sam sounded way too cheerful at the prospect of skipping school, but then again, what high school senior didn't want to take off school?

"I already called the school, knowing you would go and told them that you had a major migraine and wouldn't be in tomorrow and that you might take off Friday too. So go and pack your duffle, we're heading out as soon as the car is loaded." Sam looked startled that they were leaving so soon, but as the shock wore off, he immediately went to his room and began packing, while Dean grabbed his duffle from beside the door, and went to the sink for his secret stash of M&M's that was hidden beneath it.

* * *

Sammy Jo, Dean, and 'grandpop' John had been driving in the Impala for the last six hours and were only a few minutes outside of York, Maine; where the werewolf sighting had been. It had been said in the news report that two men and three young women had been found on the long sand beaches of York beach. John had checked it out and it had been said that the coroner thought the marks on the bodies looked like those consistent with a wolf attack; but there were no wolves in the area and the attack had been the night before on the first night of the full moon. 

"Are we there yet?" Two droning voices asked from the back seat and Dean turned his glaring eyes into the rear view mirror to scowl at the two men sitting in the back seat. John had been a big influence on Sammy Jo, having lived with Dean and Sammy for the first ten years of Sam's life; and not being more then ten minutes away from either Dean or Sam in case he was needed since then. John had learned that he couldn't run away from his problems and that his family needed him to be there for them, especially now that Sam had died. John had stretched his influence over Sammy Jo, sometimes with Dean's permission and sometimes without his permission. He had been a bad influence in some ways, but he had also taught Sammy Jo morals and he had taught him how to hunt and defend himself when the time arose that he needed to do so.

"Would you two bitches shut up already? I already told you that we will be there in a few minutes. You two are worse than Sam used to be!" There were snorts from the back and Dean looked back to see Sammy Jo and John trying to hold innocent faces; with Sammy Jo succeeding and John failing miserably when he grabbed his stomach and started laughing.

A few minutes later when John had stopped laughing, both men in the back chorused, "Sorry SIR!" Dean cracked a smile of his own at that, thinking how much Sammy Jo and Sam were alike. Sammy had gotten his hair, his eyes, his humor, and his goddamn strong emotions and smarts from his uncle. He had also gotten the one thing that had gotten Sam killed, Sammy Jo had gotten the power of telekinesis and visions from his uncle. When he looked at Sammy Jo now though he saw that he didn't have the same dark circles and haunted look to his eyes, he was happy, and now Dean was glad that he had given his son the life his brother had always wanted.

Dean turned his attention back to the road and as soon as he entered the town of York, he relied on instinct and immediately started looking for a motel as he had done many times when he had hunted alongside his brother. When they reached the motel, Dean got a room and started his research on the subject of werewolves in the area of York Beach, while John and Sammy Jo went to go get dinner, at a diner just down the street from the motel.

Dean started to feel uneasy about ten minutes after Sammy Jo and his father had left and got up to make sure the wards around the room were secure. He reapplied the sat and cat's eye shells, before grabbing his knife and walking out of the room toward the Impala to grab a couple of the guns and make sure they were loaded with silver bullets.

_Have your nails scratch the deepest  
Have you broken skin this time  
Made your mark and took me deeper  
As you drown me with your eyes_

Dean heard a scratching as he closed the trunk and looked around. He found himself in a staring contest with a large werewolf, and knew that he had been stupid to leave the room, especially with his son and father gone, leaving him with no backup. Dean saw that there were at least two more wolves with the one he was staring at, and started to edge back to the room, cautious that there may be others hiding just around the corner.

* * *

Sammy Jo and John walked into the diner they had passed with Dean on the way to the motel and sat down in a booth. When they were about to order, Sammy Jo grabbed his head in pain and gasped; his eyes going blank. John looked at his grandson and immediately knew what was happening. He got up, grabbed a hold of the boy and led him outside, away from the questioning employees and patrons in the diner. 

John waited for the vision to end and kept Sammy Jo standing when he came out of it, disoriented and in pain. There was only one word that came from the younger man as John held him up. "Dad," the word was weak and Sammy Jo had gasped it, but John had heard it and was immediately on alert.

"Sam, what about your father?" John's voice was anxious and he gave his grandson a shake, afraid for his only son left.

"The wolves, they're at the motel, and dad's in trouble." Sammy Jo gave John a worried look before they both took off for the motel, hoping that Dean was okay.

* * *

Dean fought as hard as he could against the slashes and bites that came his way from the three wolves, but was not strong enough to defend against so many attackers with no weapons left. He felt it as the claws dug into his chest and stomach, but didn't register the pain as warm, deep crimson liquid soaked his stomach. 

He fell as if in slow motion and waited for the wolves to attack him again, but the attack never came. He looked up to see Sammy Jo with his hand held out in front of him, effectively using his telekinesis to throw the wolves off his father; and he saw his father running for one of the guns that had been knocked away from him when the wolves had attacked.

* * *

John grabbed one of the guns his son had dropped while Sammy Jo effectively removed the animals from Dean. John raised the gun and shot each of the three were wolves in the heart, effectively killing them, not caring who heard the gunshots as he ran towards his oldest son. Sammy Jo got there before John did, and dropped his knees beside his father, tears in his eyes as he saw how bad the wounds were, knowing that his father wasn't going to make it. 

_Can you tell  
That I picked my poison well  
That I have no more to sell to you  
Is it really that important that I settle down  
Does it really even matter that I have my doubts  
I search for the one who bleeds  
I reach for the one who bleeds  
Like me_

John felt his heart shatter as for the second time in his life he watched one of his sons dying and could do nothing to stop it. He dropped to his knees beside his son, taking Dean's hand in his own, and brushing the blood soaked hair out of his face. Dean looked to him and John was surprised at the barrage of emotions that were shown in his eyes. "I'm sorry." The words were spoken softly and John had to strain to hear his son say them.

John squeezed his hand tighter and looked at Dean questioningly before asking, "What do you have to be sorry for?"

Dean smiled at him, and John could feel the life leaving him, "Fathers should never outlive their children." His voice was low, and John could tell he meant that fathers should never have to outlive one of their children, let alone two of them. Dean turned to Sammy Jo, and John looked up to see tears in his grandson's eyes. "I love you Sammy Jo, take care of your grandpop for me, would you?" Sammy Jo nodded, and John knew his heart was breaking.

"Go to him Dean, go to Sammy." John's voice was low and he watched as a small smile crossed Dean's face before there was nothing. John reached up and closed his son's eyes, knowing that life would never be the same, but also knowing that he had to be strong for his grandson. He could believe that he had outlived both his son's and it was heart breaking that both his boys were gone.

* * *

Dean looked up to see Sam standing in front of him, in jeans and a sweatshirt. Dean laughed out loud at seeing his brother for the first time in eighteen years; and pulled him into a fierce hug. When he let go, Sam smiled at him and said, "There's someone who wants to see you, Dean." Dean looked behind Sam to see his mother standing there, and felt tears flood his vision. 

"Mom?" The woman nodded and Dean walked to her, afraid to touch her. She pulled him into her arms, and hugged him tightly.

"Welcome home Dean."

* * *

A/N: What did you think? By the way, the song is 'Bleed Like Me' by TRAPT…

Thank you so much for your beta-ing work, trickstersaprentice! Her review... 

_Well, you've succeeded in making me bawl, thank you very much! Great job._

Take care yah'all…

Ana


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